A Wicked Whisper in the Wood

Once long ago, in a time since forgotten, in a land since lost, lived a King and Queen who wanted desperately for a child. After much loss and tragedy, a son was born. The Kingdom rejoiced and was in much celebration. 

“Behold the Prince!” Shouted the King with much happiness and proud delight.

“In one week’s time, “The King proclaimed, “We shall have a feast for the whole Kingdom, a grand time will be had by all in celebration of the Prince’s birth.” 

News of the feast spread far across the kingdom to every man, woman, child, and animal in all the land. 

The task of such a great feast fell to the Royal Chef. The King asked that he cook a feast suitable for the Prince and that no person leave without a satisfied belly. The Royal Chef happily agreed and promised the King the most succulent and delicious feast fit for the Prince. 

“I shall find the all the pigs in the Kings Wood and stuff them with the juiciest fruits, nuts, and cheeses… this will surely be worthy of the Prince,” the Royal Chef thought. And the King agreed.

So the next day the King sent his young Kitchen Boy out to the King’s Wood, “Boy,” he said, “go fetch me all the pigs from the Wood for our feast, I must prepare a great stuffing for them.”

Word of the Kitchen Boy’s hunt reached the family of Pigs in the Kings Wood. They were desperate not to be cooked and eaten. With no choice they sought out the most unlikeliest of help. The Pig family went deeper in the woods then they previously dare to go all way to entrance to the cave of the mighty Wicked Wolf, considered a great enemy to all creatures in the wood, especially the Pigs. 

“Sir Wicked Wolf, Wicked Wolf are you at home!” Squealed one of the pigs

A stirring in the cave and two yellow dots appeared in the darkness. As the dots grew larger a black snout, furry face, and point ears revealed themselves. 

“Who disturbs me so, when the sun is still so high in the sky?”

“It is us Sir Wicked Wolf, the Pigs.” Another Oinked in response.

“You are very brave Pigs, to come right up to my home, what is it that you want?”

“We ask for your help Wicked Wolf, for as you see the King wishes to cook and eat all the pigs in all the wood, the Kitchen Boy is on his way right now to collect us, and we Pigs are no match for the Kings men, only a creature as fearless, and cunning as the Great Wicked Wolf can outsmart them, oh please Sir Wolf won’t you help us escape such a fate?”

“Hmmm…and why should I help you, besides I too look to eat you at times.” Said the Wolf.

“That is rightly the point, if the King should eat all the pigs in all the wood, then what will be left for you?”

The Wolf thought on this for a moment, and a toothy grin took shape on the Wolf’s face, his canines the first to be revealed under his upturned lip. 

“Sure I can help you pigs, but the Kitchen Boy is not going to leave without something, we must find a suitable replacement for the Boy to bring back to the Royal Chef. “

The pigs thought on this, oh what animal could they possibly send to their deaths in salvation of their own lives. But soon they came up with a suitable replacement.

“Ducks,”squeaked one the pigs”Ducks are large and great to be stuffed. There are wild ducks all over the Kings pond, surely the Kitchen Boy can find more than enough for the feast.

“Good thinking,”said the Wolf “Now, best to stay hidden in my cave until after the feast, I will take care of the Kitchen Boy.”

The pigs happy on being saved, cheerfully trotted up into the Wolf’s cave, and the Wolf salivated as one by one, a fat family of pigs marched right into his home.

Meanwhile, the Kitchen Boy came walking up the path from the castle, into the King’s Wood. The Kitchen Boy did not like the King’s Wood very much. It was dark and his mind would play tricks on him, like seeing monsters in the shapes of the trees that weren’t actually there. He kept his head swiveling left to right, trying to spy a wild pig in the bushes. He hoped to find the pigs and get out as quickly as he could.

“The pigs in this forest are all gone, Ducks is what you shall seek…” the Wolf whispered hidden away in the brush. 

The whisper startled the Kitchen Boy and he froze in fright

“Who is there, who is behind such a Wicked Whisper?

“Ducks are more plentiful in the pond, they are fat and juicy and worthy of the Prince” The whisper concluded

The Kitchen Boy, already feeling anxious about being in the wood, agreed with the whisper. So back he went to the Royal Chef.

“Royal Chef, the Pigs of the King Wood are nowhere to be found, I propose we change the menu to Duck, there is a bounty out on the pond. “ 

“Is that so”said the Royal Chef “I will alert the King at once, and tomorrow Kitchen Boy go out and gather me the most plump of the ducks, and I shall prepare their stuffing.

But little did the Kitchen Boy or the Royal Chef know, that at that very moment, the Wolf was already visiting the pond. 

Hidden away just as he had done with the Kitchen Boy, the Wolf lie in a layer of tall reeds just on the edge of the Duck Pond.

“The King wishes to eat all the Ducks from the pond, tomorrow the Kitchen Boy will come to collect you all.” Whispered the Wolf, “You must go seek help from the Wolf.”

Ducks were startled and frightened by this, “Oh NO!” Quacked one of the ducks, “I don’t want to be eaten, my new feathers just came in!”

The Next morning, all the Ducks from the pond, came waddling up the path to the Wolf’s cave. 

“Good Morning Sir Wicked Wolf, are you at home?” Quacked one of the ducks 

The Wolf padded his way out of the cave, looking plumper than he had the day before, addressed the Ducks.

“Yes Ducks, why have you waken me so early in the day, do you not know I slumber in the daylight?” Said the Wolf

“Certainly Sir Wicked Wolf, and we are sorry to bother you, only we are here to seek your help. For you see, the King wishes to have us for his feast, and we ask if you could help us escape such a fate. 

Like with the Pigs, the Wolf agreed to help, and like the pigs, he had similar conditions. “What replacement do you offer for the Kitchen Boy?”

“We are nearing spring time Sir Wolf, surely lamb would be a more desired meal for the Feast of the Young Prince.”

“Quite so…now you must stay safe here in my cave until after the feast..”said the Wolf, licking his lips as they waddled past him. 

The Wolf went out to the pasture and found a small flock of spring lambs nibbling at the grass.

Again he hid in some tall grass, and again whispered to unsuspecting Little Lambs, “The Kitchen Boy comes to get you for Little Lambs for the Feast. The Wolf can help you, go find the Wolf.”

The Little Lambs like the Ducks, became frightened at the prospect of being eaten by the King and Court. “Oh no!” Bleated one of the Little Lambs “I don’t’ want to be eaten, we are so young, surely we must find help.”

The Wolf went off to the pond to await the Kitchen Boy. Sure enough as the Kitchen Boy got close the pond, and saw no Ducks insight, a whisper blew across the still water, “The Ducks have all flown away, but the Little Lambs, they stay put, a feast of spring lamb is best to celebrate a Prince.”

Once again, the Kitchen Boy went back to the Royal Chef, and again offered his suggestion for the feast, “The Ducks have all flown away Royal Chef, but the Little Lamb, they wait in the pasture, surely they are the more appropriate meal to celebrate a new Prince. The Royal Chef agreed, and sent the Kitchen Boy out the following morning for lamb, and to find some wild mint for a jelly he would serve. 

As the sun rose the next morning, the flock of Little Lamb, as those before them walked up the path to the entrance to the Wolf’s Cave.

“Hello, Sir Wicked Wolf,” Baa-ed one of the Little Lamb.

And again as those before them they asked the help of their most feared adversary, and again like before, the Wolf agreed to help, only that they name a replacement, and stay hidden in the cave until after the feast. 

The Little Lambs did not hesitate and thought the Pheasant to be a suitable replacement. 

“Oh tis a fine choice for a feast, I shall take care of it…now in you go.” The Wolf said, wiping a slop of greasy fat from his chin, and looking even rounder than before, ushered all the Little Lamb into his cave. 

The Kitchen Boy meanwhile, made the walk from the Castle to the Pasture, expecting to see a field of green dotted with little fluffy white Lamb, was surprised to see an empty pasture. Empty except for a whisper.

“Lamb is not what you seek, but Pheasant surely will please the King.” The Whisper said. 

“Oh wickedest of whispers, I surely hope you are right, for the Royal Chef grows impatient with me.” Said the Kitchen Boy

The Kitchen Boy again goes to the Royal Chef, and again makes a suggestion of new menu, Pheasant. The Royal Chef agrees, and sends him out the following morning.

As before, the Wolf whispered a warning to the Pheasants, as just like before, the Pheasants asked for the Wolf for help the following morning. The Wolf, looking fatter still, and with tufts of wool stuck in his teeth, agreed to help the weary Pheasants, just so long as name a replacement and hide in the cave. 

“The Rabbits”, crowed the Pheasants.

The Wolf, found the Rabbits, and whispered to them the same warning he had given the Pheasants, the Little Lamb, and the Ducks. 

The Wolf perched in the tall grass lay waiting for the Kitchen Boy, to offer yet another suggestion for the great feast. And like the days before the Kitchen Boy agreed and told the Royal Chef as such. 

“For your sake Kitchen Boy, let us hope there are still rabbits left in the King’s Wood by tomorrow, for we are a running out of time, and the Wood seems to be running out of animals!” Exclaimed the Royal Chef. 

The Rabbits hopped up the Wolf’s cave early the next morning to plead for help from their great and mighty enemy. But unlike the creatures before them, they did not have to wake the Wolf as he was waiting for them, lounging outside his cave. Stuffed and picking his teeth with the end of a feather. 

“Sir Wolf…” The Rabbits made their request and the Wolf agreed same as before.

“Sir Wolf, we shall surely hide away in your cave as you suggested, however we are at loss for a replacement for you see, the King’s Wood has become empty of creatures. There are no animals left save for you and I.”

The Wolf puts the Rabbits at ease and says he will take a care of it and for them to all hop in his cave for the Kitchen Boy is due any minute.

Any minute came and the Kitchen Boy was plodding around the Wood for any burrows still with any Rabbits in them. 

“There are no Rabbits in the Wood, they are not suitable for the feast. ” the Wolf whispered.

“Well strange Whispers of the Wood, what is then, each day I have been out in these woods, and each day I find not a pig in the bush, nor duck on the pond, a lamb in the pasture, a pheasant in the grass, and now no rabbit in a burrow. Tell me Wicked Whisper what is left to eat in this Wood that has not fled. “ the Kitchen Boy asked as he continued his search.

Hearing no response from the Whisper, the Kitchen Boy asks again, “Whisper of the Wood, offer me up a feast suitable for a Prince, show me the bounty you can provide that shall satisfy the King Wolf.” 

The Kitchen Boy then comes upon the source of the Whisper, it lay on its back in soft pile of leaves, his tongue hanging from his agape mouth, his belly stuffed about to burst, the Wolf lie panting unable to move from the weight of itself. 

The day of the Feast has arrived and all the Kingdom has shown up to celebrate the new Prince. A table, stretching from one wall of the castle to the other, laid out for the Feast. All manner of food pickled, jellied, jammed, braised, skewered, smashed, mashed, boiled, and broiled, is served to the subjects.

But what of a main course, worthy enough for the new Prince? The Royal Chef wheeled out on a large cart with a giant plump roasted Wolf! And when the Royal Chef carved open the Wolf, out trotted all the Pigs, out waddled all the Ducks, out pranced all the Little Lamb, out the Pheasants walked, and the Rabbits hopped.  

The young prince laughed in delight as all the animals of the Kings Wood scattered merrily around the castle grounds, for surely as the King promised a grand celebration was had by all in the Kingdom.